Although he has only been there for a year it was recently announced that Alessandro Dell’Acqua will be stepping down from his position as creative director at Malo. The line, as of Spring/Summer 2010, will be designed in house by the brand’s design team.

Malo is controlled by IT Holding SpA, which also counts Ittierre SpA among their holdings. This is the company that licensed Just Cavalli, Roberto Cavalli’s secondary line. Last February, they went into administration – the equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That said, WWD is reporting that Malo has attracted interest from over a dozen potential buyers.

When asked why he decided to step down after such a short time, Dell’Acqua noted that the situation at Malo had become complicated, and it was necessary to cut costs, focus on a smaller collection, and go back to classic the Malo style.

He added that the Italian brand no longer needed a marquee name or a creative director, and thought it wiser to go with a team. The designer is said to still be on good terms with chief executive officer Vittorio Notarpietro.

The Italian Dell’Acqua is now focusing on his namesake collection which he will continue via a capsule collection of black dresses (which launched last fall).

“I’m not looking at consulting anymore, unless perhaps for a Paris-based collection. That would be my dream,” he remarked.

Dell’Acqua’s namesake line is controlled by Luxembourg-based holding group Redlux.